“My work is often about the media
Sad Romance (Surrealist Portrait of Lady Gaga) 2009, courtesy Gagosian Gallery.
A Place in the Sun, 2009, courtesy Gagosian Gallery.
and how they’ve influenced, shaped, and been the most meaningful power of the last 20, 30, maybe even 40 years. Now I’d like to study new social media structures and see what kind of impact they have on our lives, on our tastes and on our sexual behaviours.” FRANCESCO VEZZOLI
Is Veruschka in Paris? 2001, courtesy Galleria Franco Noero, Turin.
applying the vocabulary of media to art and vice versa. But then something more fun would be to do an internet poll, like ‘what’s your favourite piece by Vezzoli?’ And the prize would be a real Vezzoli artwork, trying to understand what people like or get of my work in such a basic way… it could be fun, no? N: Do you think there’ll be different response to each venue? I suppose the big difference is between Italy and America, but also East Coast and West Coast. Are you anticipating how each iteration will be received in each city? F: It’s complicated, but very interesting. My work in the past, especially in America, has been very misunderstood. But I’m not complaining about it because it’s such a cliché. It’s pathetic when artists say, ‘oh, I’m so misunderstood.’ I just want my work to be acknowledged. Rome, New York and LA will be an interesting spectrum. Three different shows and publications, and at the end of that I will be utterly compelled to move on. N: Do you think the trajectory of the project, from Rome to the East and West Coasts of America, will mirror your career and the direction your work has taken? F: Oh yes. I couldn’t have put it more precisely. I did my first videos in Rome and then I tried to move on to New York. After I worked in New York, I started approaching LA and the industry in Hollywood: so it’s transparent. I never thought about it, but it’s so right. Yes, it’s geographical and emotional. It’s basically all the way from Brescia, where I was born, to Hollywood and back! N: You’re going full circle. You’re retracing your steps. F: Yes… the last video in the show in Rome is the one with my mother. N: The one from the Sacrilegio show in New York? F: Yes, it makes sense, doesn’t it? My watch says it’s 5:15pm, so we’ve given each other our 15 minutes of celebrity and now we can say goodbye. N: Exactly. I’m looking forward to being in Italy and seeing your show. F: Italy is looking forward to welcoming you back.
i-D, The Pain and Pleasure Issue, April 2006.
‘Suddenly Last Summer’ Walk of Fame (Elizabeth Taylor as Catherine Holly), 2006, courtesy Gagosian Gallery.
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